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February 28, 2013

Goal Setting From the Heart; Polar HRM Giveaway

Yep, this is another Goal Post!

Which means it's time for another chance for clever and inspiring Cranketeers to chat and offer support around our various goals.

Are your goals perennial old favorites that you return to time and again? Or are they all fresh and new and shiny? Are they easy-peasey no-brainers, or are they awe-inspiring challenges or are they just plain crazy-ass outrageous?

It's all good! I'll be very curious about how the last part of February went and what you're all up to in March.

As it happens, my thoughts on goal setting aren't really all that "from the heart." It's honestly more of a "head' than "heart" post. But hell, "Goals From the Head" doesn't fit in very well thematically since we're just about at the end of National Please Don't Croak From A Heart Attack Month*** plus we've got a nifty Polar FT7 Heart Rate monitor to give away designed to keep your ticker tickin' throughout the year.

Anyway, I'll try to keep my thoughts on goal setting brief.

1. You May Not Even Need a "Goal"

Not everyone benefits from setting goals at all. Are you enjoying life, not screwing up in a major way, and mostly living your priorities? Then hell, don't feel like you need to join the club just because others of us may be chasing after elusive rainbows or brass rings.

And sure, havng a fancy-pantsy Goal With a Capital G may inspire you to accomplish something important more quickly, but it may also cause you to miss smelling a few flowers along the way. Well, unless your goal IS to smell more flowers, in which case your golden.

2. Know Thyself

Do you tend to achieve more when you really stretch yourself? Or do you whine and sulk and give up in discouragement if you find yourself struggling to meet optimistic targets?

Some people do better building slowly on very achievable goals to build up an ever-increasing sense of accomplishment and confidence.

Other people just enjoy kicking ass when they can, and are quite capable of ignoring reality completely in the goal setting process. And then ignoring it again if they fail to do superhuman things. Either way they just keep on chargin' up those hills and sometimes they actually do accomplish f--cking miracles.

It helps a lot to know which kind of person you are!

3. Build in Flexibility

Whether your goal is hard or easy, life has a way of throwing complications at us. If you have a couple different ways to feel successful, you'll have better luck staying on track and keeping motivated.

You can mix a "stretch" goal with a "fallback" goal. Like: Don't go out to lunch ever again, pack a healthy meal and some snacks from home every day! Yay, great idea! But, fallback with: cut back from five times a week to just twice a week.

Or you can shoot for a tangible, exciting, exterior type target like "run a marathon!" but also define it in terms of an hours per week fitness commitment. That way if your body turns on you and all your parts start breaking down one after the other, you can still feel successful even as you limp your way to your water-aerobics class cursing and sobbing in understandable frustration without feeling defeated.

4. OK, Here's the "From the Heart" Part

If you are a person with a lot of "shoulds" in your life, it can be all too easy to find yourself chasing someone else's goals. You "should" get A's in school, you "should" get married and have kids, or give up those diet sodas or train for a triathlon or quit smoking or find a volunteer gig or do any of a number of virtuous things.

But you have to really want these achievements, deep down. And not just a little. You need to be FIRED UP!! Otherwise, you're just not going to get there and you may as well spare yourself the wasted hopes and energy.

Figure out if deep within you, you really really would like to shoot for something important to you. If you do a gut/heart/other internal organ check, perhaps your liver just for variety, and the fire truly burns within? Then go for it! You can confront your fears and defeatism and old habits and figure out new ways of getting what you want and deserve.

But if it ain't... who knows--freeing up the energy you've been using half-heartedly chasing goals that are depressing "shoulds" may lead to surprising new discoveries. Wouldn't it be more exciting to chase goals that feel truly thrilling and all YOURS?

About the Monitor:

Let's run that pretty picture again, shall we?

It's from Polar and I like their high quality monitors; it's not as fancy as the Polar RCX3 I reviewed, but it's a step up from the basic Polar FT4 which I was also very happy with.

The FT7 is aimed at "those who want to know if they’re improving their fitness or burning fat." Which honestly seems like kind of a dubious distinction to me but whatever; what's cool is that it's got the comfy version of chest strap, coded to avoid cross-talk, and it also calculates calories burned as well as heart rate.

About the Giveaway:

This is not really designed as a "drive-by" giveaway to get more web traffic thing.

This is actually a "reward" opportunity for folks who are giving each other goal support and accountability by stopping by throughout March and replying to other comments on as well as leaving their own. So if you've googled in and thought "goody!" it's probably not worth your time to hang out here all month just for the contest. On the other hand, you may find you really like the nice folks who hang here and become a Cranketeer yourself!

The monitor winner will be chosen near the end of the month. A small group of Secret Finalists will be selected based on arbitrary and possibly irrational criteria, and then the mean old random number generator will make the final selection so that I don't have to personally say 'NO' to anyone myself.

I'm paying for postage on this one, so everyone is eligible no matter what country you're from.

***(And note: Apologies to anyone offended by the irreverent use of "Croak" above. But my own father ignored all dietary and exercise advice after his first few heart attacks and died at just about the age I am now, damn him. So it's a health risk I do take seriously, even though I do think it's weird that all these diseases have their own special celebration months. Hope you had a Happy Heart Attack Month!)

So how did your February Goals go and Watcha' All Got Planned for March?

147 comments:

OK, my own check-in is not so awesome this time. But it doesn't totally suck either. If the point of goals is to improve previous performance and keep building momentum, then yay! I made a lot more progress on the next ebook than I had the previous month, which was pretty much nothing.

But I didn't do what I said I would.

I'm actually REALLY fired up about this next book, but I want to balance it with coaching clients, health and fitness, a bunch of other stuff, and I don't want to abandon the blog entirely either.

So at this point, I want to figure out another ebook goal, but I may check back in a day or two with how exactly I frame it for better success.

I mentioned before that I have an old habit of failing on purpose so as not to fail for real (better to be a rebel than a loser, eh?). Despite the self-acceptance of years of therapy, I decided to join you in making a goal last month, then immediately started undermining myself. Ultimately, I both managed to accomplish my goal -- I did my 10 push-ups on the floor -- and decided that goal-setting on the whole diminishes my enjoyment of exercise.

You all are terrific, and I wish you the best in your goal setting, meeting, and/or not worrying about failing to meet. Me, I'll be out smoking behind the gym. See you around the lockers, maybe.

Aw hell Trabb's Boy, you make me want to take up smoking. How 'bout meet you behind the bleachers after practice, you bring the smokes and I'll bring two buck chuck and chocolate bars. Ill make 'em dark chocolate for the antioxidants though.

And meantime if you wanna wave to those of us flailing around on the field we'll wave back!

Oh, and awesome on the pushups even if the process of getting there sucked!

I just had an interesting discussion about this yesterday at my WW meeting. We were talking activity goals, and a few people were of the mind that setting a goal didn't mentally work for them. Which is funny, because at least on the activity front, I totally need a goal or else I become permanently attached to the couch. Different strokes for different folks!

Trabb's Boy & Crabby - Yay!! Meet behind the bleachers for all manner of off-limits fun :) Just thinking about this makes me feel wonderfully, terrifically wicked!! (Maybe I'll go tease my hair and get a tattoo and start wearing leather? .... Ok - I won't, I'm way too buttoned down for that - but a girl can dream...)

I did accomplish my push up goal, so am no longer a "wanna be"! But, I do have to admit that my assessment of meeting the goal may not exactly meet the "fist" test. Don't care, though.

But, dang!... just got a HR monitor to go with my sports watch or I'd be all over this give-away :(

Congrats on meeting your push-up goal! I wouldn't worry about the fist part. There really does seem to be a split between trainers who give that goal and trainers who say it's safest and just as good to have your arms parallel to the floor.

But it feels good to do them doesn't it? I've never met an exercise I wanted to show off so much!

Yeah, baby!!!! It feels SO good that I have wanted to tell EVERYONE - including total strangers passing by on the street! :) One of my colleagues gave me the "look" when I offered to drop and give him 5 the other day just to show off. And I was wearing a dress. Kind of pathetic I know, but - hey......

i started eating strictly paleo last sunday which led to me almost fainting on the street today. so i decide not to die during heartattack month and take it waaaaay easier with my goals for a while! will meet trabb boy behind the locker for a zigarette....p.s. im the proud owner of a polar and can recommend it!

Furchtloserbach, i think it's great that you are going to take it easier, not give up entirely. My eating came under control when i started adding one new good habit that i wanted to cultivate to my diet at a time. It took months, but it worked, and it's stuck for 7 years now.

My version of goal is more of a "I will go completely crazy if I don't Get This Thing Done!" It's the idea of a personal Mission Statement that weirds me out. I don't have a mission; I'm just here for the popcorn.

My February goal was to not compare myself or my blog to anyone else in the blog world. I know it seems like any easy goal but I have days where I struggle a great deal with it. I've really tried to focus on why I blog but some days there is still a part of me that wants to have the "cool" blog. Sigh...just like high school! Clearly I'm still trying to work on my goal during the month of March!I love the little community you have created here with the goals and the check-in and support.

Kim, I just checked your blog out because of your comment and subscribed because you seem like a neat person. I struggle with the purpose of mine as well (which is totally designed for a very specific niche of keeping in contact with members who show up to my WW meeting) and sometimes think about scrapping it all together, or making it more of a traditional "health blog" where I talk about more personal stuff.

I discovered that getting to be higher profile blog seems has a lot more to do with (a) longevity and (b) spending ridiculous amounts of time online that you earn pretty much no money for and it's really not worth it for most people. Wasn't for me, anyway.

The coolest thing about blogging is being part of a really nice community of supportive people, and you guys already rock that!

We finished up our 8 week food tracking challenge last week (and then promptly started another one) and I came out on the other end of it weighing exactly the same as when I started. Considering in that timeframe I: ran 20 miles, started a taper, got a cold, ran a marathon, developed a disgusting infected toenail and couldn't put much weight on my foot for over a week, I think that is a victory. I think had I not been tracking as diligently I would have come out the other end of all that heavier than when I started!

Now that my big ol' huge race of the year is over, I am thinking about what's next. I have a half marathon on 3/10 that I'm just going to be running to finish. But then another one in June and I'm thinking about whether or not I should start some speed work to improve my time. Not sure if that's a goal I want yet or not! Until I get that figured out it's "keep on keepin' on" and "keep on trackin'" since mostly I'm doing pretty well at life.

I should also say that I am excited about this giveaway! I have a Polar HRM right now, but it is PINK because that was of course the only color on offer when I bought it (and believe me I considered buying a "men's" model to avoid it, but it was a few bucks more). The pink shows wear horribly, and now it's pink with a hint of grey and looks nasty. Nasty though, because I wear it all the time and love it!

Congratulations on the marathon! I was kind of working up to one, but after I wimped out of my second half marathon late last year I'm really not sure if I can face starting the training all over again... Total enthusiasm failure. I have nothing but respect for anyone that actually goes the distance!

Thanks, y'all. The marathon is a killer. It was not my first, but I had LONG forgotten the work and dedication it takes. Just doing the stinking training is an accomplishment enough, never mind the race!

I don't know about goals. depending on my mood they can either motivate me or make me spit at them. But I do feel as if I am coming out of the winter doldrums some and I have been walking outside the past few days. I feel So Much Better already. Even if I am not doing it all I am doing something. And dang, if it doesn't feel good!

The from the heart is my favorite part. I am trying to separate the "shoulds" from the what I really want in job searching. It is tough stuff. I have never forgotten during our coaching sessions truly realizing that "career" is not necessary a value for me. I always fall back on that when I am really struggling in job applications.

I wasn't offended about the "croak" that is really too bad about your dad.

Anyway, February was about surviving (January I learned that while going to bed without TV is good for apparently most of the population it actually makes me sleep worse...some failed goals are quite an education). Anyway, I survived February, it is welcome to end now.

March. Hum. Guidelines. I would like to be more assertive about finding work that I am passionate about - this is a serious challenge when you are sweating the money aspect. It is looking like that may be a collection of opportunities as opposed to one job, but I would like to be more comfortable with that.

My Feb goal was to get to the gym at least 5 times a week. Instead I got a puppy... So I got to the gym twice a week and spent giant chunks of the day, walking puppy, running with puppy, climbing snow banks with puppy. Laughing hysterically while watching puppy dig for imaginary rabbits and pulverize innocent snowballs. All in all good for the soul, and good for the body.

My goal for March is to get to the gym at least twice a week. Do one strength workout on the TRX at home and somehow get the Elliptical back together. This is the last time I am moving for a decade. I still cannot find anything.

Overall goal for the year is to stick with something for an entire year. I start strong and wander off.

i hear you when it comes to the career aspect! it can be scary sometimes to go for the stuff we really love doing while being short on cash... id say go for your dreamversion of working. good luck for you!

Glad you survived February QD, and sorry it was a tough one. And interesting about the TV but it's great you decided the heck with conventional wisdom and embraced what works for YOU.

The job thing is tough, isn't it? But sounds like you're approaching it creatively and flexibly, as well as gathering up more self confidence and determination about pursuing stuff you truly care about.

And puppy exercise sounds healthy on all sorts of levels Tina!!! Hooray for puppies (and boo for disruptive moves; hope you sort things out soon! Putting back an elliptical? Yikes!)

And it's funny about the wandering away thing Tina, so many of us tend to do that until all of a sudden we're READY to commit. Hard to figure out what flips the switch sometimes, but you may surprise yourself!

And if you want to stick around for some nudges, hope you keep coming back to these "goal posts!"

I am new at fitness and my ultimate goal for this year is to turn 40 my healthiest EVER next February! This month I started weight training and it is going good so far, have been going to Body Pump since I knwo nothing abotu weights. I have had lupus since I was 11 along with colitis, and this is the first time since I was diagnosed I feel I am in a place where I feel I can DO this, I can get fit! (My colon was removed a few years ago and that have helped so much!) My next goal for March and April is to start running. I SUCK at running, so I think a heart rate monitor would be a great tool. I am signed up for a smaller 5 mile mud race in April, and I am doing another (night) one in July and then the BIG one; Tough Mudder Tampa in November... Having these goals seems to really be key for me to get things done! :-)

I had EXACTLY the same idea, SweFlo, and I certainly turned forty a LOT fitter than I was at thirty! My plan from here on is to keep getting younger as I get older, until I turn into one of those eighty year olds who runs errands for sixty year olds and refers to it as "helping the old folk". #8-D

I'm a terrible runner too (although that's maybe giving myself too much credit, since it implies I'm a runner at all), but I would love to do a mud race -- I've even put "run a tough mudder" on my bucket list.

Meantime, I signed up for a Color Run instead -- from what I hear, they are very walker friendly. :)

I'm hitting 40 this year, so I think this is a GREAT idea! My gym's BodyPump classes are always super busy and require sign-ups, so I haven't yet tried it out. My other gym (sigh, yes, I have a gym collection) has a similar class that is easier to get into. I like those classes because they are super approachable for one who knows nuthin' about nuthin' when it comes to lifting weights!

So much awesomeness! Love the fit at forty goal SweFlo. It sounds like you've had SO much to deal with medically that it's truly inspiring that you've kept fighting for your health and are setting these great goals for yourself.

(And Shadowduck, love that image of 80 and you've given me a new long term fitness goal!)

My goal for February was to run a 7km race in under an hour. And I did it! Best feeling.

Goals for this month is to consistently have the scales go down, continue to track my food, and make strength gains. I've been a bit complacent, hating being on a plateau but not trying hard enough to get out of it so this month I gotta kick that habit!

Plateaus have an unfairly bad reputation, I think... Bearing in mind that for most people, the norm is to slowly but steadily get heavier, slower and less fit, even standing still is an achievement. It's always nice to feel you're making progress, of course, but we're all swimming against the tide and you should give yourself a bit of credit for not going backwards!

Definitley Shadowduck! I agree that at least I stayed the same, that I didn't slide backwards. It was inevitable that I had a plateau after losing 18kg in a year too so as frustrating as it was all up it could've been worse.

Thanks Crabby! It was such a buzz finishing it! And my goal is already working, I've lost 800g in the last week (yussss *slow fist pulldown*) and doing lunges yesterday wasn't as hard as they used to be so I realised I've come SO far in the past year so goals are on track!

I'm totally the "ignore reality when setting goals but don't beat yourself up if you don't get there" type. To infinity, and beyoooooond!

Still working on my current goal with my Awesome Life Coach, and though there's a couple of weeks left to run I'd have to say that not only am I pretty much there on my Stated And Therefore Fairly Realistic Goal, I'm also doing so well on my Totally Unrealistic Dream Goal that I think I may have to redefine it to an Even More Unrealistic Dream Goal just to make use of the momentum!

Being a duck who likes to have a few irons in the fire, in the last couple of weeks I've also started to learn ukulele (so I can teach my son when he's a little older, he's fascinated by my guitars but won't be big enough to play one for a while yet) and signed myself up for six years worth of part-time university to finally get that degree I somehow never got round to in my twenties. It's nice to have a couple of side projects... #;-)

The heart rate monitor looks interesting, though I'm not really one for tracking things... I've even uninstalled Endomondo from my phone, because I realised that I don't honestly care that much how long it takes me to bike somewhere so long as I'm not late for whatever I'm doing!

And whoa, that is so cool about the ukelele and university courses. You are really challenging yourself in all kinds of ways! And what great role modeling for kids to see their dad so active and engaged instead of sitting in front of the telly eating chips and biscuits and drinking lager or whatever it is more complacent British dads do. :)

Oh, ukelele, that sounds so great! I hope your son can be playing right beside you before long. I used to play guitar, but it's one thing that has sort of fallen by the wayside over the last few years (while I indulged my obsession with fitness & bicycling). I think you've inspired me to get my guitar out and start up again. Thank you!

By the way, we got to go to a party last night where we ehard a Hawaiian slack key guitar group - they played & sang and their wives all did hula. Very cool.

Thanks Kimberley! And DRG, I'm another cyclist so we obviously have a lot in common (what is a/the Death Ride, by the way?).

The ukulele turns out to be more fun to play than I expected, and I've got those crucial Am,C,D,Em,G chords memorised (for anyone who doesn't play an instrument, those five chords will get you through about 75% of popular songs). The ultra-rapid strumming is still a bit hit-and-miss - I think if I can master that it should feed back nicely into guitar technique! Bonus!

My goal for March is loosely related to my unpacking goals--get my (not paying their rent) tenants out of the old-old house (not the new-old house that I'm still unpacking from moving out of) and get it sold at auction (well, for March, get a contract with the auction house and get them started). I abandoned my February unpacking goal about halfway through the month, realizing that a more urgent goal was getting all the tax stuff together, scanned, and sent to my accountants. I'm still aiming to complete that by the end of the first week of March.

(I'm sort of fascinated by the heart rate monitor--after all, it's a Gadget!--but I doubt I'd really use it.)Mary Anne in Kentucky

Oooh, tenant eviction sounds as much fun as a colonscopy or, well, doing taxes Mary Anne. And yet you're plowing ahead on all fronts getting your new life in order and making the most of the transition.

Sounds like you have your priorities well figured out plus you seem to be flexible about shifting them as needed--Rock on in March!

Just came along this from The Great Fitness Experiment, and realized that I kinda did have vague goals... My February goals(getting out running more, etc.) were hampered by the flu; it kept me in the house for a week. My other goals, to practice my Euphonium more and study for midterms went pretty well.

I think I could use a heart-rate monitor to see how hard I am actually working(actual vs perceived effort) and since I'm a cheapskate student I've been watching for a giveaway.

I am still at a crossroads on what my next goal should be...or even if I want to set a goal. Do intentions count? I feel like I am coasting a bit. I have felt this way since mid November. Right now I am hanging on to the fact that I have NOT quit. I am not too afraid of that happening. I guess I am struggling a bit. I am hoping that I get my sh*t together and contact a trainer I worked with a few months back. He is affordable and not some college gym rat trying to make a buck off the fat old lady. (apologies to those college gym rats who are really trying to help old fat ladies) I think if I got back with the program of strength training, that that would do me the most good.

I guess that is my goal then. I want to find a way to commit to strength training again. Kinda lame, huh?

Cool give-a-way though. Hey, if I win it, maybe I will have a give-a-way of my Mio Petite! It was a good tool for timing, calories burned, and miles walked types of things, but I want something more like a FitBit. I need to sell off some more of my VAST quantities of precious jewelry that I bought from Avon to buy one though.

Organic strawberries are back in season. Time for my favorite dessert!

Thanks quiltingdoberman! glad you liked my blog...the walkerlady one or the lazyquilter one though? lol ! But you live a lot closer to where I wish I lived! I am always homesick for California...

Oh and a VERY wise woman told me when I turned 40 that I shouldn't think that I have lived half my life already. She said the first 20 years don't really count. She was in her 80's at the time. Somehow this comforted me and I haven't looked back since! I am 58 now. Oh, and I gotta brag a tad...I gave birth to my youngest when I was 46. He's 12 now. I also have a daughter 26, a son 28, and a son 30. 40 is a pretty good age. Enjoy! :D

And thank you SO much for this comment. I love the wise advice and I love that you spread it around. I have no kids and having turned 40 I am kind of expecting not to have them at this point, but you son at 46 is very inspiring.

I am mostly OK with the age, probably less with the life instability however. I did tell someone that if I was unemployed in this market at age 30 I would probably be more melodramatic about it, so there is some advantage with maturity.

Crabby...I really am not sure what is going on. I am working on focusing more on what I really DO want to do now. Trouble is, I just don't know what I want to do with the rest of my life. I am actively working on cutting out some activities that are not doing anything for me so I CAN focus on what direction to go to next.Sorry I am wishy washy right now...at the same time, it has been exceptionally comforting that I am not gaining all that weight back while living a pretty normal and not intense life! Maybe my subconscious IS testing out the 'new' me. Time will tell. While I wait to see where Mz Fate takes me next, I will also make quilts, take walks with Ziva (my German Shepherd), do my yoga classes, and enjoy being able to move about like a 'normal' person does. :D

Wow Sherri, sounds like both a confusing and exciting time! Seems like the strategy of ditching the nonrewarding stuff and looking for clues about what excites you for the next phase of life is a great idea. And after reaching such a great place with your weight loss goal, it must feel a little weird to not have that be as huge as before. Yet what a great thing to feel proud of and to build on!

Sometimes building just a little bit of structure around the exploration process, like keeping a journal or setting aside a few minutes each day (perhaps on a walk) or whatever fits your style, can help you reflect a bit can and feel more like you're moving "toward" something, even if you don't quite know what it is yet. Finding out can sometimes be half the fun!

Hope you find a way to get motivated for strength training, Sherri, and I hope your method is something I can steal and use myself! I've heard (well, read) all about the wonderful benefits and feel like it's something I really should be doing, but at the moment it's definitely Somebody Else's Goal and I just can't get interested...

My goal for this month is to keep working out on the weekends. I started this in February and I like it. It has helped be a wee bit more mindful of my food choices and its easier getting to the gym on Mondays.

Well this week I get to work on flexiblity and compassion! I did not work out this past weekend. We took a couple of vacation days and even though I could have worked out - I didn't. I did enjoy my weekend but I do have some guilt going on re: not making my weekend goal. I keep trying to remind myself that it is 'progress not perfection'.

'Progress not perfection' is an excellent motto Theresa! And heck, maybe the days off gave you are rest you needed, either physically or psychologically. Might as well ditch the guilt and keep on pluggin'. And yay you for checking in whether you totally rocked it or not! I think the accountability counts for more than actual progress in the long haul.

Nice post!! All you write is true! I have always been very "driven", but as I have become older, I sometimes wonder "why?" I am finding it harder at times now to stay motivated. Same for any of you? I guess your advice to look within is very accurate!!I have "lurked" here awhile, without many posts, but I have realized that you have a nice bunch of joes here-- different backgrounds, different goals, but all very supportive. A good thing.Now, today is March 1-- time to set some more goals. I will try for smalller ( maybe more attainable) ones. Thanks for the inspiration!

And yeah I totally agree on the small goals and interesting that you seem to be shifting out of "driven" mode. I'm guessing it may be a signal that you need more exciting goals, or new exciting ways to reframe old goals, so that it's less about "achievement" and more about growth and satisfaction and fun?

Hi, Pokey Dog. Yeah, I agree. Driven is not such a great thing, maybe. Not being driven doesn't have to mean you have no drive to do the stuff you really think highly of - to me,driven sounds more like having to do stuff whether or not it makes sense. So go for small and attainable! And just go for goals you really care about. Not goals for the sake of goals.

My March Goal will be to comment here more. I am a terrible lurker, this is one of the only blogs I read every single day. I love everything your write and the comments are just as inspiring and funny. I even ordered the Bella Nutripro Juicer you reveiwed. One of the BEST investments I've ever made. I've been juicing for 5 days now and I LOVE IT! My brother lives in the SF Bay area and my family here in the midwest always made fun of his "hippy, juicing obsession" Needless to say I had to call and apologize because I am a total convert now. I have juiced fruits/veggies I never would eat whole. My morning Spinach-Kale-Carrot-Apple-Celery-Beet juice is delightful and created an entire new chapter for me. Thanks Crabby for the inspiration. Hope to talk more soon. xoxo Chris

Chris that is so cool about the juicer, isn't it wonderful when you find some new gizmo that opens up all kinds of new possibilities? And I gotta say, I LOVE your March goal, quite selfishly of course!

And I SO appreciate the kind words about the blog; I often feel a bit apologetic that it tends to be so half-assed and silly, so your comment really means a lot to me!

Chris,I love your March goal! I spent over a year lurking on various blogs before I ever felt like I could comment. I actually enjoy reading them even more now that I comment and feel like I sort-of "know" some of the other people.

I am very late to the game! I had to give adequate time to read this & it has been a bit hectic here. I love what you are doing here!!! I have had a lot of disappointments for trying yet I keep trying. I will hang & read but I know I will not be a finalist cause I am just going to keep stuff to myself these days.. so tired of telling others it did not work out BUT I am still trying! :)

So while I totally think your time is way too valuable to worry about coming back here (and speaking of late to the game I am SO behind on blog/social media stuff), DO consider how inspirational it is for someone like you to be grappling with disappointments and still trying your best anyway. So many people are just flabbergasted at how fit and awesome you are, that to know you have areas where you have to keep picking yourself back up, over and over again... well, I think ALL of us can relate and it may help others keep going as well.

I'm hoping this group will be equally supportive of NICE TRIES and even outright FAILS and everything short of success. And I'm pretty sure it will be exactly that!

I've had this post open since yesterday, trying to come up with an appropriate way to express how much I love what you wrote...but my words are failing me, so I'll just give you a simple "thank you - it was lovely and you made me feel really good."

OK, so in an attempt to balance the ebook progress with other stuff I'm working on, I've decided I don't want a particular page target or time commitment, but I do want to maintain forward momentum.

So my goal is to check into this thread once a week with progress reports, and I'm going to put it on my calendar, and I'm hoping this may spur a little accountability without putting too much pressure on. Hoping to have some impressive positive progress to brag about next week!

I realized last time that as soon as I stopped checking in, the book fell more by the wayside. You guys are a great source of support!

I have always loved reading the comments here! It is a great group. And Crabby, you are a great inspiration to everyone here, and you have already accomplished things many of us dream about. You are doing great & I am delighted that you are keeping it up.

I just posted about this but I'll post here as well. I have been tracking on MFP for technical 398 days. Wow! I was gone for a week in the Dominican and couldn't log in due to the high cost of cell phone charges so I lost my streak and I was upset, but then I thought it's okay. I'm back to day 1 with only half of the weight I initially wanted to lose. I think it's like a kickstart and exciting time, I only have 56 lbs to go now instead of 112. It was a kick in the pants I needed. My goals for March is to lose 5 lbs and work out 6 days a week.

January was all about the tracking on MFP. But I was feeling a little stranded workout-wise

February came, and work exploded in an epic manner, and food tracking went out the window. Both in the sense that I wasn't actually making the entries, and in the sense that I wasn't keeping track of what I was eating. Anything that was around went in my mouth, whether for comfort or just because it was too chaotic to plan meals so "get it while you can."

At the same time, I found out that my local, right-at-the-metro by my home gym location was closing. My first thought was "oh, no," because it was such a great location for me. My second thought was, "Hmmmm ... " If I'd been stuck in a negative rut, at least this was getting out of that rut.

The chain had another location, not too far from my office, which I'd gone to on occasion and it was okay. But there was a different chain (well, two locations) that has a branch directly across from where I work, so I decided to try that out.

And loved it! I mean, it's not amazing or anything, but it has the basic equipment, plus a bunch of fun new stuff (that Jacob's Ladder thingie I see on The Biggest Loser, for example) -- or at least new stuff. It's not very big, and right after work it's pretty crowded, but if I wait a bit it thins out, and I have plenty of choice of equipment to work out with and can luxuriate at length with the showers (and Bliss lemon-sage body wash and shampoo! woo hoo!). As I told my mom -- "I'm a single woman with a DVR and no pets; I can stay late at the gym." And since it's so close, I can even run over there, work out, and come back for another hour or two of work if need be.

So now we're in March. I'd thought it would be better workwise -- and it is, it is -- but I'm still at the office on a Sunday. Haven't gotten back on track in tracking yet.

Goal for March: regroup on the various successes of the past two months and try to manage some degree of repetition of those, y'know, simultaneously.

Wow, Rachel, am impressed that you recovered so well from the gym thing and found a great new alternative and are working simultaneously on the food tracking and exercise. Especially with work having been so crazy. Hard to put all the pieces together at once but seems like a great goal!

I don't know about you, but I find that even coming up with an overall mental ball-park calorie number for a day I'm too busy to track and scribbling it down SOMEWHERE, even if it never gets entered, helps to feel a bit more on track. Sometimes I even go back and enter it. And even if the number sucks and is way approximate, it makes it easier to feel like I've still got some sort of accountability.

Ok, after reading all these great goals and comments, I am trying to formnulate my own goals. The time just races by & it is hard to stop long enough to get that overview. But here goes: I plan to work very hard on a nagging knee issue - lots of physical therapy, stretching, icing; meanwhile, I hope to be able to wedge two interval sessions in each week. Right now I am getting lured away from the second one by the temptation of long rides. As the days get longer and nicer, those longer routes are just too appealing. But I do have to build up the strength if I hope to finish that Death Ride!

Oooh, knee pain and a bike is not a good combination... My left knee is a bit messed up from a motorcycle accident years ago and it used to get stiff on longer bike rides, but I found with shorter cranks and some careful attention to saddle height (even a couple of mm can make a surprising difference) I can ride 'til my legs fall off without knee problems. Have you had a professional bike fitting done?

Apologies if you've already been through all that, you sound like you're pretty clued in!

Thanks, Shadow Duck & Crabby. Yeah, maybe I'll go to a movie again some day...I am part of a group that leads training rides for longer events, and I have to ride with my husband, too, so the long rides are sort of built in (and I love them). It is really hard to wedge all the great options into the days available. I do work full time, too. And yes, I see a PT/super bike fitter regularly. I'm off for an MRI shortly just to be sure it's not anything that needs more fixing than PT and I can do.

And back to your other comment, Shadow Duck (love that name), the Death Ride is up in the Sierras in California. It covers 125 miles and climbs a total of about 15,500' - five summits of named passes. And you have to finish the passes by 5:15 in the afternoon or you don't qualify to buy the jersey. So I am going for the whole thing. Fingers tightly crossed.

Made it through January/February...now onto March! Goal is to include at least one workout a week that is NOT biking/spinning. Related: I'm addicted to high intensity workouts, and it's not doing my body any good. Really need to incorporate more aerobic and low intensity. I'm still only committed to one day a week, but I figure that's better than nothing. Unfortunately, I still feel the need to go out and kill it most other days, but hopefully that will lessen too.:) Love the motivation and support here!

Maybe you can find a group to ride with that will go at a nice, conversational pace - or maybe hike with a bird or plant identification book. I lead training rides - well, at least, I am a ride leader, but I always choose to sweep because it is so satisfying to help newbies learn some of what I have learned in my ten years of cycling. A sweeper doesn't get any high intensity, but it's a nice recovery ride pace & as long as you are coaching someone else along, you can put aside your personal pressures. At least, I can. And if you have to indulge your darker side, well, I can't say I don't feel a little secret pleasure in chatting along to encourage someone who is really struggling up a hill & knowing the ease of chatting is thanks to all the intensity I have done on other days.

I hope you're doing a rest day, too, and maybe even the occasional rest week!

Hey shyster pup, that's great that you're trying to mix it up; much healthier in the long run! So many would envy the "kill it" mentality, but sounds like you may ultimately kill even MORE of it with a balance that includes more recovery/endurance.

As I sit here cramming for my doctors visit in 10 days I thought of a goal. Every year before my annualdoctors visit, I spend 2 weeks eating really healthy, upping my exercise and trying to get in the best health I can. I feel great when I go to the doctors, then leave and usually go have a big breakfast with lots of bacon! After reading all the posts I decided to make my March goal to keep the cramming going - try for at least a month to make being healthy not just something I do to get good health "grades" but do it because it makes me feel good! We will see how it goes!

Great goal! It makes me laugh (at me, not at you!) because I remember when I was little & we had to get all cleaned up & properly dressed to go see the doctor when we were home sick from school. And I laugh when I see all the traffic slowing way down when there's a police car in sight. And I laugh at me again when I realize I wear lighter clothes when I go to the doctor and get weighed even though my weight is fine. I guess not too many of us stop cramming for a good grade & the teacher's approval just 'cause we're out of school. I hope you find the key, and share its location with the rest of us!

My goal is to:1. eat healthy food2. stop eating junk food and 3. exerciseI spent the first 2 weeks of the year avoiding all bad food, then I lost it with a Krispy Kreme donut. I have not been able to stop with the bad food since. Well, today doesn't count because I ate bad and didn't work out. Tomorrow for sure, and every day after. (I need to lose 30 lbs and by the end of March hope to be down at least 15 lb!!)

So glad you stopped by, and please, please, please don't be discouraged, this is HARD and you were off to a great start and the key is not to give up!

Evil Krispy Kremes are supremely hard to resist and have been the downfall of many.

So I'm thinking 15 lbs a month sounds like a really ambitious goal, so don't be too hard on yourself if it takes a bit longer. If every day you focus on making as many healthy choices as you can, and being kind to yourself when you fall short and get back on track with a positive attitude, I bet you're going to see some real progress.

Honestly, February was a REALLY REALLY bad and lazy month for me. With the new semester of school just starting and it being my Junior year I started stressing out!!! My healthy eating was non-existent, and I rarely worked out! For March though, I'm going to get back on track with everything! So my plans for March is to to cut out ALL junk/fast food, workout at least 4-5 times a week, (even if I have to wake up early for it!), AND bring up my grades (Algebra 2 is such a pain). I really do have to get back to running, I vowed to my self that I WILL run on varsity this Cross Country season!! TRAIN TRAIN TRAIN!! (:

I worked with a girl years ago who was on her high school cross country team. It was a very physical job we had, and she was talking about cross country when she said what I've adopted as a mantra: "You don't have to be fast, you just have to keep on going." This applies to nearly everything in life as far as I can see. Such as algebra, and healthy eating.

My goal for February was to get under 145 lbs. While I didn't get there (146.5), I did increas my lifting PRs - deadlifts and back squats, and I was able to do 5 unassisted pullups in a row. I've got my eyes on the weight target for the end of March.

I'm so impressed by all your kick-ass accomplishments, the pull ups especially. And good luck on the weight target, though it sounds like from what you can do with your body, you must be about 99% muscle!

Never put too much pressure on yourself. This is one of the things I learned to avoid being disappointed and being hurt. Just set some goals that you can actually reach. Do not give up and remember that working hard will always pay off.

I always try to eat right, schedule my time properly so I can do some workouts. I really want to lose some weight. Anyway, that monitor looks good and much more comfortable than other devices.

You can use it to manage your goals, projects and tasks, set next actions and contexts, use checklists, and a calendar.Syncs with Evernote and Google Calendar, and also comes with mobile version, and Android and iPhone apps.

Hmm, so it seems many of us don't end up returning down here often after the first week or so of the month, but those that do are awesome conversationalists!

I'm hesitant to start posting more than once a month, so it is what it is. However, the more people who DO decided to come back, the more others will check etc, so, note to self: Update more often!

As to specifics, this has been more of a "sort it out" kind of month for me in which I'm trying to maintain sufficient focus on "must do" stuff while playing with being more intuitive about which optional goals to pursue.

Or hmm, that could be a big ol' excuse for getting derailed by computer viruses and out of town trips and deciding that "whatever the hell I feel like" is a strategic move and not a white flag on the issues of priorities and focus.

On the positive front, I've been doing a bunch of professional continuing education, which is predictably motivated by my MFT license renewal requirement, but as a side benefit I'm learning and remembering, and reviewing all kinds of helpful stuff!